Combined circuit and flashlight battery connection



FeB. 2, 1937. D. R. CLARKE 2,069,355

COMBINED CIRCUIT AND FLASHLIGHT BATTERY CONNECTION Filed July 1'?, 1936 #Wm/TOR 0, R. L5/RKK.

Patented Feb. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES COMBINED CIRCUIT AND FLASHLIGHT BATTERY CONNECTION Douglas Ralph Clarke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application July 17, 1936, Serial No. 91,176

6 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in combined circuit and ilashlght battery connections, and the object of the invention is to devise a connection for a battery which will serve both for the ignition circuit and a iiashlight, in which the iiashlight is operable independently of the ignition circuit when connected or disconnected from the battery so that the liashlight may be used either as a signal light when the battery is also operating the ignition circuit or as a portable light when the ignition circuit is disconnected, and it consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a battery showing my flashlight and ignition circuit connector applied thereto'.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the connector and the adjacent portion of the battery and its terminal.

Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation of the connector applied to the adjacent portion of a battery, such portion being shown in section.

Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of the two members separated apart forming the connection between the ignition circuit and the ungrounded terminal of the battery.

In the drawing like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views.

I indicates a battery of any suitable type provided With a metal casing and with a handle 2 by which it is rendered portable and the positive and negative terminals 3 and 4 thereof. 5 is the body of the connector provided with a horizontal cylindrical orifice 6 and a vertical cylindrical orice 1 extending into the horizontal orifice. 8 is a relector which is formed integral with the connector body 5.

9 is a cylindrical member formed of insulating material which lits within the horizontal orice 6. The inner end of the member 9 or the end adjacent to the reflector is provided with an internally threaded orifice 9X in which the screw threaded metal portion of the bulb IU is screwed, such metal portion being provided with the usual centre end Contact IllX. The opposite end of the member 9 is provided with orifices 9 and 9', the inner end of the orice 9 extending adjacent to the orice 9X and the orice 9 extending partially into the orifice 9X as clearly indicated in Fig. 2.

II is a metal plug tting within the oriiice 9 and secured therein by means of a screw IIo extending through the upper portion of the body 5 through the member 9 against the plug II. By

this means the member 9 and plug II are securely held in position within the orice 6 The plug II is provided with a longitudinal orice II in which the terminal end of one member I2 of the ignition circuit extends to form a conductive connection thereto.

I3 is a cylindrical plug extending into the orice 9 and at its inner end into contact with the centre contact I 9X of the bulb I0. The plug I3 is provided at its inner end with an orice I 3X into which the other terminal end I4 of the ignition circuit extends. Between the inner end of the orice I3 and the adjacent end of a plug I3 is formed a diametric orice I3 which is located in central alignment with a vertical orice 'l of the connector body.

I5 is an insulating sleeve tting the orifice 'l and extending at its lower end into contact with the annular shoulder 3X of the battery terminal 3. I 6 is a plug tting within the sleeve I5 and a provided at its upper end with a pin projection Il5 extending into and fitting the orice I 3 of the plug I3. By this means a conductive connection is formed between the plug I3 and the plug I6. The plug I6 is provided at its lower end' with an orifice I6 into which the positive battery terminal 3 fits.

I1 is an orice formed in the connector body and in the member 9 so as to extend into the internally threaded orice 9X into which the bulb I 0 is screwed. I8 is a contact screw which is threaded into the upper portion of the orifice I'I. and is provided at its lower end with a reduced contact portion I1X which may be adjusted so as to engage or disengage the metallic threaded shell of the flashlight bulb I0.

5 is a lug formed in the rear portion of the body 5 to each side of which are screwed arms I8 which incline downwardly and are preferably formed of spring material and provided with hooked ends I 8X which extend around the rim IX so as to support the body 5 of the connector rigidly in place and form a means for grounding such body to the battery casing.

I9 is a strip of conducting material provided with a hooked end I9 at one end and an annular portion I9 at the opposite end through which the negative terminal of the battery extends so as to form a means for grounding such negative terminal to the battery casing.

When the device is set up as above described, a circuit extends from the positive terminal of the battery 3 through the plug I6, plug I3 to one member of the ignition circuit I4 and through the ignition returning back by the member I2 of the circuit to the plug II, the current thus passing through the plug to the screw II and to the connector body 5 and from thence through the supporting arms I8 to the battery case I, thereby completing the circuit through such case to the grounding strip I9 leading to the negative terminal of the battery.

A circuit is also formed from the positive terminal 3 of the battery through the plug I6 and plug I3 to the centre contact IIlX of a bulb I0 and from thence through the contacts I'IX and screw I1 to the body 5 and from thence through the supporting arms I8 to the battery casing I and to the return grounding strip I9 leading to the negative terminal of the battery.

If it is desired to use the bulb l0 as a signal bulb, the terminals I2 and I4 of the ignition circuit may be left in their connected position Within the oriiices I IX and I3X and the screw I8 is screwed down into contact with the bulb IIl, the current then passing through the bulb.

If it is desired to use the bulb IU as a portable flashlight, the terminals I4 and I2 of the ignition circuit are disconnected and the battery carried from place to place by means of the handle 2, the circuit through the flashlight bulb being unaffected by the withdrawal of the ignition circuit terminals.

It may be noted that a connector such as I have described may be easily assembled or disassembled without the use of any tools.

What I claim as my invention iszl. A combination ignition circuit and flashlight battery comprising a connector body, means for mounting the body on a battery case so as to be grounded thereto, an insulating member carried by the body, ignition circuit terminals carried by the member, one of which is grounded to the body, means insulated from the body for forming a connection between the other ignition circuit terminal and an ungrounded battery terminal, means for mounting an incandescent bulb in the insulating body so that its end contact engages the ungrounded ignition circuit terminal and a peripheral bulb contact carried by the body.

2. A combination ignition circuit and flashlight battery comprising a connector body, means for mounting the body on a battery case so as to be grounded thereto, an insulating member carried by the body, ignition circuit terminals carried by the member, one of which is grounded to the body, means insulated from the body for forming a connection between the other ignition circuit terminal and an ungrounded battery terminal, means for mounting an incandescent bulb in the insulating body so that its end contact engages the ungrounded ignition circuit terminal and a peripheral bulb contact carried by the body, and adjustable in and out of engagement with the metallic portion of an inserted bulb.

3. The combination with a battery case and terminals, one of which is grounded to the case, of a ashlight body mounted on the ungrounded battery terminal and grounded to the battery case, ignition circuit terminals carried by the body, and means for forming two independent cir cuit connections, one extending from one ignition circuit terminal through the body to the battery terminal and the other from the flashlight terminal through the body to the battery terminal, and means for grounding the other ignition circuit terminal to the flashlight body, and means for opening and closing the circuit between the iiashlight and the ashlight body.

4. The combination with a battery case and terminals one of which is grounded to the case, of a flashlight body mounted on the ungrounded battery terminal, ignition circuit terminals carried by the body and means for forming two independent circuit connections, one extending from one ignition circuit terminal through the body to the battery terminal and the other from the flashlight terminal through the body to the battery terminal, and means for grounding the other ignition circuit terminal, and means for grounding the flashlight terminal to the body.

5. The combination with the battery casing and terminals, and means for grounding one of said terminals to the casing, of a connector body carrying a reflector at one end and having a horizontal orice extending therethrough from the reflector, a portion depending from the body having a vertical oriiice extending therethrough into the horizontal orifice of the body, an insulating plug fitting the horizontal orifice and having a bulb receiving socket at one end and plug receiving orifices at the opposite end, a metallic plug secured in one orice and grounded to the connector body and adapted to receive one terminal of an ignition circuit, a plug fitting the other orifice and adapted to receive the other terminal of the ignition circuit; and to contact the centre contact of an inserted bulb, a metal plug extending through the vertical orifice and insulated from the Walls thereof and contacting the horizontal plug, and means for connecting the lower end of the body to the ungrounded terminal of the battery.

6. The combination with a battery case and terminals one of which is grounded to the case, of a flashlight body mounted on the ungrounded battery terminal and grounded tov the battery case, ignition circuit terminals carried by the body, and means for forming two independent circuit connections, one extending from one ignition circuit terminal through the body to the i battery terminal and the other from the ashlight terminal through the body to the battery terminal, and means for grounding the other ignition circuit terminal to the flashlight body.

DOUGLAS ROLPH CLARKE. 

